How Much Does a Sunroom Cost?

Do you want to add a room with large, airy windows to your home? One of the biggest factors stopping you is that you need to know how much a decent job costs. It can be difficult to find information about sunroom pricing, and the total cost depends on how large you want the room to be, the location of your house and other aspects of your property.

Many variables contribute to the cost of building a sunroom addition for your home. This guide covers some of the most common expenses homeowners can expect when undertaking this type of construction project. Keep reading to find average cost estimates for building a sunroom.

Types of Sunrooms

If you’re wondering how much a small sunroom costs, the answer is that it depends. Before you can estimate the cost of your future sunroom, you’ll need to decide which kind you want to build. Each type is a little different, and the features you want will influence the total cost.

There are also two general building methods — you can build a sunroom from a prefabricated kit or install a custom-built sunroom that fits your home. Regarding the costs for prefab vs. custom-built sunrooms, the simpler prefab kits are usually more affordable but do not come with customization, warrantees or high quality materials.

The various types of sunrooms and associated costs include:

1. Prefab Sunroom

A prefab, or prefabricated, sunroom is manufactured separately from your home in a factory before it’s installed on your property. If you want a conservatory for your home or a garden room designed as a well-lit space for plants, a prefab sunroom is an affordable option. This type of sunroom is fully enclosed from the outdoors like a greenhouse and can be set up as a freestanding building.

These sunrooms* come in many styles designed to suit most homes. Without customization, they’re often less expensive than hiring a contractor to build an addition to your house.

*Prefabricated products are not offered by Maryland Sunrooms.

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2. Solarium

This type of sunroom is constructed mostly from glass windows and serves as an extension of your outdoor space. Unlike the majority of prefab sunrooms, the ceiling and walls of a glass sunroom are made mostly of glass paneling.

The amount of glass required to construct one makes the project a little complex, but it’s about the same in cost as adding an interior room to a house.

3. Three-Season Sunroom

A three-season room is named for its ability to keep an outdoor living space comfortable throughout three seasons of the year — spring, summer and fall. The process of converting your patio or porch into a three-season room would involve enclosing the chosen outdoor space and adding windows to an outer wall.

The benefit of installing a patio sunroom is that it can keep your property taxes about the same, saving you money in the long run.

4. Four-Season Sunroom

A four-season room, or an all-season room, is an enclosed space designed to keep temperatures mild throughout the year, allowing you to enjoy your outdoor space even during the winter. How much do four-season sunrooms cost? Generally, it’d cost more money to install a four-season room rather than a three-season room.

This type of addition will require contract work outside your house to enclose and insulate an outdoor space. Although four-season sunrooms can raise property taxes with their classification as bonus rooms, they’re also a coveted selling feature that can increase the value of your home.

5. Atrium

An atrium is a room located in your house’s interior with its own glass paneling or windowed roof. Some atriums might also be open to the outside, allowing plants to grow in the middle of the home. Homeowners may convert a spare room into an atrium by having a glass ceiling or glass paneling installed.

An atrium is a complex addition to a house because an architect and contractor must carefully determine the position of the glass paneling. If you want to convert a spare room into an atrium, you’d save money on the material costs of building an additional room.

What Affects the Average Costs of a Sunroom?

Before you decide on which type of sunroom you want and start figuring up the price, ask yourself what your plans are for the space. Here are some things to consider:

• Usage: Do you plan to stay in your sunroom throughout the year or just in the summers? What is a good size for a sunroom in your perspective?
• Placement: Which part of your home or outdoor space seems like the best location for a sunroom?
• Amenities: Do you want to wire electricity and outlets in your sunroom? Do you want air conditioning or a heat source?
• Varying costs: Even when you break down the costs into subcategories and features, prices can vary by several thousand dollars depending on your location, materials and contractor’s fees.

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What Are the Average Costs of a Sunroom?

The national average cost of building a sunroom varies and the expenses of labor and materials increase each year. Remember that the average will vary depending on which type of sunroom you’re considering. For example, the average cost to build a three-season room is about $25,000 — $20,000 less than the average cost to construct a four-season room.

Below is a basic sunroom cost calculator, which includes broad estimates for some of the most common costs of labor and materials associated with each type:

• Prefab sunroom: $5,000-$30,000
• Solarium: $30,000-$150,000
• Three-season sunroom: $20,000-$50,000
• Four-season sunroom: $55,000-$100,000
• Atrium: $14,000-$20,000
• Conservatory: $35,000-$115,000

On average, you’d pay a contractor between $80-$400 per square foot to install an addition, so you must keep installation costs in mind, as well.

The Average Cost of a Sunroom by Type

Below is a list of the average price of each type of sunroom. Note that prices may change slightly each year.

1. Prefab Sunroom Cost

A prefab sunroom is typically constructed from aluminum or vinyl. These are sent to your home ready for you and your contractor to assemble, and they cost less than many other types of sunrooms. The cost of a prefab kit and installation would run you between $5,000 and $30,000 — size is the primary determining factor for how much the kit will cost and is a product not offered by Maryland Sunrooms.

2. Solarium Cost

If you want to attach a glass enclosure to your home, you’re looking at a price tag of around $30,000 to $150,000. Although a solarium offers minimal climate control and lacks insulation, it’s a good place for storing plants year-round in most climates.

3. Three-Season Sunroom Cost

Although a three-season sunroom lacks insulation and often electricity and a heating and cooling system, you can save money when you opt to install one over a four-season room. A good estimate for a three-season room cost per square foot depends on the contract labor and materials. Without amenities such as heating or cooling, you can expect to pay around $20,000 to $50,000.

4. Four-Season Sunroom Cost

This type of sunroom is insulated for use year-round, which may appeal to you if you prefer a sunroom you can enjoy even in cold weather. The cost varies depending on the features you want. It’s usually constructed to be attached to the home, but what really drives the price up is the amenities — if you want your four-season room to have luxuries like heating, you’ll pay more. The cost of a four-season room is around $55,000 to $100,000.

5. Conservatory Cost

A conservatory is a glass enclosure with a temperature-controlled environment. These are one of the most expensive options and come with many potential luxuries to justify the price of about $50,000 to $150,000.

6. Atrium Cost

An atrium’s cost increases with a larger or more complex roof or glass panel placement. This can range from $6,000 to $20,000 if you’re planning to leave the rest of the room unchanged.

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Sunroom Cost Per Square Foot

When you’re estimating the overall cost of building a new sunroom per square foot, labor costs are influenced by how much contractors charge in your area, and the rest of the price depends on the required materials for building the type of sunroom you want.

For a four-season sunroom with connected utilities and insulated glass, plan to spend a little more on the addition than you would for adding a standard room to your house. Of course, if all you want to do is enclose your deck to create a three-season sunroom, you’ll pay on the lower end.

What Determines How Much a Sunroom Costs?

Once you’ve decided on which type of sunroom you want, you’ve determined a significant factor in how much it’ll cost to build. Although you can break down overall costs based on the style of sunroom you want, the same type of room can fall into very different price ranges.

To pinpoint how much it’ll cost a little more definitively, you must consider other factors that influence the cost of a sunroom, including:

• The size: Of course, you’ll pay more in material costs and labor per square foot. A 50-square-foot atrium costs less to build than a 150-foot-by-80-foot three-season sunroom.
• Building code requirements: In some areas, you’ll pay more for permits and other formalities before you can start the project.
• Location on the home: If you build around your back porch, you’ll pay less than building a complex new addition to the front of the house.
• Materials: The type of roofing and flooring you select influence the cost — your contractor can give you an idea as to how much each type would cost.
• Utilities: Setting up electricity and a permanent heating and cooling system requires higher-quality materials and extra labor from specialist contractors.
• Custom finishing: The cost of special features, unique details or even upgraded flooring can raise your expenses more than you might expect.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Sunroom Yourself?

DIY-ing a sunroom may be a possibility if you order a DIY kit and already have your foundation. Check that the kit you order comes with a warranty to ensure it’s a quality product. For many projects, you’ll need to hire a contractor or an installation service to do at least part of the work and ensure everything is up to code.

To estimate the cost of building a sunroom without a contractor, subtract the cost of labor from the total price.

Foundation

If you’re building onto a deck or a patio enclosure, you can avoid pouring a new foundation. Otherwise, a contractor will have to pour a slab of concrete for you.

Although it’s more affordable to enclose your porch, pouring new concrete is a low expense compared to some of the others.

Building Permits

Building a new sunroom requires paying permit costs. It’s important to check your local building codes and get familiar with what kind of permits you’ll need and how much they cost. If you’re working with a contractor or professional building team, they’ll know which permits to obtain and can get your project approved quickly.

Ground Preparation

For a new addition to your home, you might have to regrade the area around the house to ensure it’s flat enough for the sunroom to stand securely and properly. If you need to prepare the land, clear trees, dig out the ground or add soil.

Landscaping

You might need to hire a landscaping crew if you need trees or bushes removed before you can start building. After the work is finished, you might also need a landscaper to seed new grass around your sunroom.

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Framing

The materials you want to use are the determining factor for this expense.

For a four-season sunroom, the frame will need to be as well-insulated as the rest of your home. Vinyl or wood are both good choices. For a three-season room, you can select plastic resin, aluminum or a more affordable type of vinyl frame.

Insulation

For some types of sunrooms, you can avoid having to install insulation altogether. However, if you want HVAC ductwork in your sunroom, you’ll need some insulation to keep your energy bills reasonable during cold or hot temperatures. To insulate a room with glass walls and ceilings, you’ll need to buy special windows to hold in the mild temperatures.

Windows

This is one of the most highly anticipated expenses of building a sunroom. Large windows are what bring in the light. The cost will depend on how many glass panels you need and the quality of the glass. Insulated glass costs are often higher, but for a four-season room or atrium, they’re often necessary.

Doors

A door is a must if your sunroom will be free-standing or you want to make sure you have an exit. A French door with sliding glass panels is an attractive feature in a sunroom, but this type of door is usually more expensive. You can get a traditional single-entry door on hinges at a good price to save money.

Electrical

If you want wiring in your sunroom, hire a contractor or service who has an electrician on the crew. Although you might be able to find a general contractor who’s also a licensed electrician, most contractors who frame and build with materials lack this specialty.

For an electrician to help install wiring in your sunroom, you can expect to pay around $50 to $100 per hour, but costs could be higher in some locations. This would include the installation of lights, outlets, a ceiling fan and other features.

Plumbing

Many sunrooms lack plumbing, but if you want to add a sink, you’ll have to hire a plumber or a contractor who works with one. The plumber might inform you that your sewer line needs to be moved or other parts of your plumbing need to be updated before they can complete the sunroom. This can drive up the costs as you begin to tackle a renovation project in more than one area of your house.

Heating and Cooling

If you’d rather have a permanent source of heating and cooling instead of space heaters and a window A/C unit, expect to invest more money into your sunroom.

Interior Finishing

Finishing a new sunroom could require laying new flooring, painting the walls or ordering new furniture. You’ll want to add these expenses in to your final budget.

Flooring

Hardwood is one of the most expensive types of flooring and it tends to fade with age from direct sunlight. You can have hardwood re-stained at any point to preserve it. Other types of flooring that are durable and affordable include vinyl and laminate.

Cleanup

Depending on the project, you can usually do your own cleaning, but a cleaning crew can use professional-grade products to clear up dusty footprints, spilled drywall and other difficult spots.

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Does a Sunroom Add Value to Your Home?

Is a sunroom worth the money? Although sunrooms require an initial investment, they also have the advantage of a 49% return on your investment (ROI). This increases the value of your home, making it extremely appealing to buyers should you ever choose to sell.

A four-season sunroom or equivalent addition will add the most value because it’s livable throughout the year. However, any kind of sunroom will add value to your home, especially when you consider the use you’re going to get out of it.

Build the Sunroom of Your Dreams With Maryland Sunrooms

Maryland Sunrooms provides full-service sunroom installation, including all permitting and contract work required. We offer financing information so you can make sure you get the best possible price. Contact us to learn more about adding the perfect sunroom to your house.